Chapter 11: The Marberry Shore
Medium Imperial Tank x 2 Heavy Imperial Tank x 2 | officers = Shocktrooper Leader x 3 Scout Elite x 1 | aces = Cpt. Nonnenkof | ace drop = VB FW1 }} The Marberry Shore '''is the eleventh chapter of Valkyria Chronicles. The combat mission in this chapter is called '''Battle at Marberry Shore. Story Following the successful liberation of Fouzen, the Gallian Army prepares to launch a massive assault against Imperial forces dug in along the Northern coast of Gallia in order to finally secure Gallia's primary industrial region and force the Imperial armies back towards their border. In the briefing room, Welkin addresses his squad. The militia have received orders to invade the Marberry coastline to aid the regular forces in the upcoming campaign. The narrow paths along the coast do not possess adequate space for the efficient usage of tanks and the only route that would allow the Gallian forces to utilise them would be a frontal assault across beaches void of cover and protected by heavily fortified cliff faces. Any such attack would obviously decimate an attacking infantry force. Welkin also reveals that Squad 7 would not only be part of the attacking force but have been charged with spearheading an assault on one of the Imperial Army's primary camps. The squad, Rosie in particular, show their skepticism regarding the operation and their displeasure at the regular army for using the militia as cannon fodder once again. Eventually, Largo calms matters, bluntly stating that they were soldiers and this was their job, reminding his friends that there was no such thing as a safe mission. Following the briefing, members of the squad assemble in the mess hall. In an attempt to raise the their spirits, Alicia reminds them that the following day would be the Feast of All Spirits, but the thought of commencing such a dangerous mission on the holiday has entirely the opposite effect. In a quiet corner of the mess hall, Isara presents Largo and Rosie with traditional Darcsen Dolls as All Spirit gifts. She expresses her desire to become friends with both of them and explains that the doll is a symbol of her friendship. Largo happily accepts; however, despite her hatred of the Darcsen people abating and her fondness for Isara growing, Rosie cannot bring herself to accept the gift, stating that "I can't just change over night, I'm not that big a person". Away from the others, Welkin pours over maps and intel provided to him by the army, desperately seeking inspiration that would somehow protect his squad from the enemy positions they would be attacking the next day. His thoughts are interrupted by Alicia and Hans, both filthy with grime and dirt. As a puzzled Welkin asks what the two had been doing, Alicia parts her clasped hands, revealing a mottled vagabond butterfly, a truly rare butterfly that was known for migrating over vast distances. Alicia explains that it is an All Spirits gift. Since the Feast of All Spirits is considered by some to be a day for lovers, Alicia hopes that this gift would bring her closer to Welkin. The next day, Squad 7 is gathered in the briefing room to discuss the invasion of the Marberry shore. Isara arrives late to the briefing, but presents the Squad with her newest creation, a smoke bomb. Her comrades voice their concerns over Isara working through the night, but she simply smiles in reply and states that she just hopes her efforts would serve to protect her friends. Topography This map is split into two areas. Firstly, there is an open beach surrounded by high cliffs and guarded by indestructible machinegun turrets on either side, protecting the only entrance to the Marberry Shore facility. This area contains your deployment zone and both Gallian base camps. The second area contains the main military facility, which is guarded by concrete fortifications, bunkers, gun positions and minefields. To the north is a large open area with a number of enemy camps, which is protected by tanks and a great number of enemy infantry. To the south lies the main complex of buildings surrounding your objective. Here is a brief on the task at hand "Here is a brief on the task at hand." "The enemy is entrenched behind hefty defenses along the top of the sheer rock face. Your only path to the enemy lies across this beach." "You'll begin at this entry point and walk your way toward the enemy camps. Your objective is to occupy the enemy's base camp. Climb the slopes leading up from the water and make a bee-line for that camp. There are two things to look out for along the way: one is the enemy machine gun emplacements all along the coast. Use your tank as a shield and keep the smoke screen rounds coming if you want to arrive in one piece." "The second issue is the concrete defensive bunkers that lie beyond the crest of that slope. They're incredibly resistant to attack and may take quite some time to take out. It'll slow you down. They do have a weakness, though. You can do major damage to them by attacking the gun at the front or rear doors. They may well have backup stores of ragnite fuel out back. If so, a well-placed gunshot should be able to set it off. If your shocktroopers have classed up to elites by now you can also use their flamethrowers to take them down. The flamethrowers are also effective against crouching foes. Keep that in mind as you plan your attack." Mission objectives Victory *The enemy base camp is captured Failure *Welkin dies *The enemy occupies Gallia's base camp *All ally soldiers and reserves are killed *20 turns pass "Now, let's begin the operation. I'm confident victory is within reach." Strategy *Before the mission starts, ensure that you have visited the Headquarters and spent the Exp and Ducats earned in the previous mission. Don't forget to equip your troops and armoured vehicles with the latest weapons and upgrades. *This mission introduces a new tool to your arsenal, smoke rounds. Smoke rounds are fired from the Edelweiss' mortar and will create a dense smoke screen which blocks both enemy and friendly units' field of vision and prevents intercept fire (though it does not prevent return fire). It is worth noting that an enemy unit fired on though a smoke cloud will "remember" this and try to move up through the cloud on its own turn to try to engage whatever shot at it, so do not treat smoke as if it is a portable wall. The smoke effect also does not render correctly in the uncolored borders of the screen, allowing the outlines of units to be seen here. *The objective of this mission is simply to capture the enemy base camp located in the southwestern section of the map. However, your troops will have to run a gauntlet of mines, bunkers, elite troops and heavy tanks. *For your initial assault from the beachhead, the best tactic is to deploy as few troops as you feel comfortable with, ensuring you deploy at least one scout. Advance past the two indestructible bunkers on the cliff face under cover of smoke into the enemy base in the north. *Once you are clear of the guns, neutralise the enemy around the camp that guards the main gate and capture it. From here, you can begin to deploy a mixed force straight into the compound, including a sniper, a lancer and a couple of shocktroopers. Finally, be sure to position your tanks to intercept any enemy counter attack. *Once your reinforcements arrive, a good tactic is to climb one of the towers with a sniper and clear out some of the soldiers blocking your path further into the base before moving your main force north. *Destroy the Medium Tank blocking your path and the bunkers spraying your troops with intercept fire as you advance. As mentioned by Captain Varrot, most bunkers have additional fuel stored behind them, which will explode and destroy the bunker if detonated with a round from a rifle or submachine gun. Your elite shocktroopers can also destroy them with little effort using their flamethrower. ** The second bunker (northwest) can be destroyed with a mortar hit from the Edelweiss on the rear side of the roof, which sets off the fuel tanks behind it. *When you have captured the northernmost enemy camp, turn your focus south to the enemy HQ, once again using smoke to advance past the invulnerable bunkers positioned along the far western cliff face. Take care to avoid or disarm the mines as you penetrate the central compound. *The central compound consists of a number of buildings and a barricaded main square surrounded by a large concrete wall. This is where the enemy will make their last stand, and it is well fortified with numerous infantry units and two heavy tanks. From here you have two choices, meet the defenders head on and fight your way to the HQ or flank them using the building in the west to evade their main force and stealthily capture it. *With the exception of Cpt. Nonnekof, all of the guns used by the enemies are B type (status effect) weapons, so try to avoid getting hit. Rewards Aftermath With the battle over and the base secure, the members of Squad 7 take a brief break to unwind and recover from the strain of the fighting. Rosie approaches Isara as she performs maintenance on the Edelweiss with the Darcsen Doll in her hand. Rosie explains that she had finally worked through her issues with Isara and her race and wanted to give her something in exchange for the thoughtful gift she had offered her the previous day. Isara is overjoyed that she can now call Rosie her friend and explains that she had always wanted to hear Rosie sing. Embarrassed and more than a little flattered, Rosie accepts Isara's request and extended her hand in a sign of friendship. At that moment, the sound of a single gunshot pierces the calm. As Isara falls to the ground, Rosie is paralysed and in utter shock, totally unable to comprehend the situation and oblivious to the danger. A brief skirmish erupts between the squad and a handful of enemy soldiers while Rosie does her best to comfort Isara even as bullets cut the through the air around her. As the enemy soldiers retreat in defeat, the rest of Squad 7 rushes to Isara’s side, Welkin taking her in his arms. Isara expresses regret that she never got to make Welkin’s dream of flying come true. Heartbroken, Welkin reassures Isara that they’d “go flying real soon.” A pleased smile slowly covers Isara’s face as she passes away in Welkin’s arms. Squad 7, Captain Varrot, and Faldio gather before Isara's grave to pay their respects. Rosie steps forward, the Darcsen doll clutched to her chest and offers up the song that Isara had asked for but didn't get a chance to hear. The song Rosie sang is titled "A Love Passed On" and the solemn lyrics were a reflection of the thoughts carried in the hearts of all those present. As the song passed through each of them, they recalled their memories of Isara, and how she had always lived her life with quiet strength. On August 23, 1935, the members of the Gallian militia's Squad 7 lost a dear and beloved sister. Notes/Trivia *If you take the right path to the north camp, which is just before the first entrance to the first trench in the centre, be careful if you hide behind the wall, as there is a glitch that lets the enemy fire at you through the wall near the north edge. *In the latter scenes of this chapter, Largo & Zaka both arm themselves with Gallian-1 rifles. Where they come from is never explained. *This mission also bears a striking resemblance to the famous D-Day landings, in particular the American landing at Omaha Beach in 1944 during World War II. Category:Valkyria Chronicles Category:Valkyria Chronicles Missions